Taylor Rooks, a former CBS Sports Network reporter, will host Bleacher Report’s new digital interview-style series “Take it There With Taylor Rooks,” the digital media company announced Wednesday morning.
The new series, which will have a run time of 10-15 minutes an episode, will feature Rooks interviewing popular athletes, celebrities and influencers whom Bleacher Report describes as “newsmakers and trendsetters.” Rather than hosting the interviews in a studio, Rooks will conduct the conversations in locations that have a strong tie to the guest, like their home or favorite coffee shop.
Bleacher Report is currently in the midst of booking guests for the interview-style series, which is expected to premiere in April as part of the company’s “Premiere Month,” which will also see their Emmy-nominated “Game of Zones” and “The Champions” return from a fall hiatus.
“Take it There With Taylor Rooks” is Rooks first series for Bleacher Report since joining the company in June. Prior to that, Rooks worked as a reporter for New York’s SNY, the CBS Sports Network and Big Ten Network.
Along with her extensive broadcast experience, Rooks brings a digital following of 300,000 across Instagram and Twitter.
Since joining Bleacher Report, Rooks has made several guest appearances at the Super Bowl, NBA All-Star Game and on Turner Sports programming including B/R Football’s UEFA Champions League coverage and the recently launched NBA on TNT Twitter live stream experience.
“Taylor Rooks is a singular voice in the sports media world, communicating in a language that resonates with today’s fan and across platforms where they engage with content,” Bleacher Report’s chief brand officer Ed Romaine told TheWrap. “This really couldn’t be in better sync with B/R and the role we play as the number one digital destination for hyperconnected sports fans.”
“Take it There With Taylor Rooks” will premiere on April 3 across the Bleacher Report site, apps, and YouTube Channel, which has 942,000 subscribers and a total of more than 291 million views.
Founded in 2005 by four friends — David Finocchio, Alexander Freund, Bryan Goldberg and Dave Nemetz — Bleacher Report was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in 2012 for $175 million. Finocchio, who served as CEO for the past three years, is expected to exit the company in June. Howard Mittman, who holds a dual role at the company as chief revenue officer and CMO, will take over for Finocchio after his exit.